Humidifier



Sept. 7, 1937. I c, BOA 2,091,957

HUMIDIFIER Filed March 22, 1935 1 N VE NTOR.

ATT NEY.

Patented Sept. 7,' 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUMIDIFIEB.

George C. Boa, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 22, 1935, Serial No. 12,445-

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a humidifier primarily suitable forapplication to radiatorsr The primary object of the invention is topro-' vide a more efllcient and improved-means for moistening andfiltering heated air.

A further object of the invention is to provide aninexpensivehumidifying device of individual units connected by a common conduit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact humidifyingdevice of assembled units and having a relativelygreater moisturefreeing surface thanearlier devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of standardwater holdingunits which may be connected by a common liquid supplymeans to provide a member of predetermined length or number of units tofit a given size of radiator to which the humidifier is to be applied.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be noted byreference to the accompanying single sheet of drawing upon which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the top of a common type of radiator withthe herein described humidifier thereon, the end units of the humidifierillustrated being ,in section.

Figure '2 is a sectional view on the line Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a right end elevation of the humidifier shown in Figure 1disposed upon a different type of radiator.

in many lengths and with various numbers of fins, also, that the topsurfaces of such radiators are of different formation, the presentdevice has been so designed that it may be made to fit all typesregardless of shape, size or'length, without material modification.

To provide such a construction, front and rear cylindrical connectionsl2 and I3, respectively, have been provided. One connection, the frontconnection l2, serves as a water conduit for vessels or units l4, andthe rear connection l3 supports and stabilizes the vessels 14. Ifdesired both connections may be water conduits but this is notnecessary. Connections .l2 and I3 are capped at both ends.

It is usual to mill down connections l2 and I3 about one third of theirdiameter or to otherwise treat such connections to form therein slotsIS. The slots G5 are sufficiently wide to receive the transverse ends ofthe Vessels I4. Thus, the connections l2 and i3 may be cut to any lengthdesired, and the required number of slots I5 cut therein and properlyspaced, after which the vessels l4 arefitted thereinto producing anassembly which will fit any radiator of normal specification.

As mentioned'above, the top surfaces of various radiators are ofdifferent formations. Some of such surfaces provide a difiicult andprecarious support for. a fiat bottomed humidifier. This has beenovercome in the present device by providing two parallel cylindricalbottom surfaces, connections 82 and E3, on the humidifier that it mayrest upon a radiator of any shape, whether the supporting surface beround, flat or irregular. Firm seating of the humidifier is obtainedwith ease and the assemblywill be stable as will be seen by referring toFigures 2 and 3. If the top of the radiator is rounded, the connectionselevate the vessels I4 above the fins. The spaced apart connections I2and I3 engage the fins at opposite sides of the vertical transversemedian line of such fins and equalize the distribution of weight. Whenthe fins have depressions in their tops, the connections 12 and I3occupy such depressions and provide an even more stable seat such as isshown in Figure 3.

The water vessels I4 have slots [6 through their bottoms I! thatregister with the apertures i5 in the front conduit 12. The contactingedges between the vessels l4 and the front connection I2 are sealed byany suitable means preventing leakages. The rear connection is, when itdoes not serve as a conduit for the vessels l4, may be secured to suchvessels M in any suitable manner, no special careto prevent leakagesbeing necessary for there are no slots on the bottoms of pans l4 overconnections l3.

The vessels l'4 that are illustrated are rectangular in horizontal andvertical cross sections and have their bottoms l1 extending upwardly toform side walls [8 terminating in inwardly directed flanges iii. The topedge of each flange I9 is for supporting an absorbent strip 20. Theflanges l9 i are so bent to provide for strips 20 a wider unsupportedsurface 20a. for the absorbent strip 20 between units I4. The moistureradiating surface of strips 20 is thus largely increased. Several narrowstrips 20 may be used in place of a single wide strip. 7

The end walls 2| extending upwardly from the bottoms I! of pans I 4terminate in inwardly extending horizontal flanges 22 for supporting aradiator cover (not shown). These flanges are above the top level ofstrip 20.

End units 23 are slightly different in construction from units M. Theouter side walls of units 23 do not have a flange l9 and extend upwardlyto be inwardly bent to form inwardly extending horizontal flanges 24 inthe same plane as flanges 22 and serving the same purpose as flanges 22.One of the end units 23 may be cut away as shown at 25 to provide ameans for charging the device with water. b

Any suitable means may be used for filling the humidifying device. Anautomatic feeding means (not shown) with a permanent water conduitconnection could be utilized, but manual means are equally effective forall purposes. Water is poured into the end unit 23 through opening 25and flows through the slot l6 therein into the conduit l2 and into asmany units M as comprise the assembly by way of their respective slotsl6. All will be filled equally as soon as an equilibrium is established,and the water level will be visible through the opening 25. The water inthe humidifier is transferred by capillary attraction from the vesselsI4 and 23 to the strips 20 suspended upon the flanges l0, most ofthe-moisture evaporating from the horizontal moisture radiating surface20a. The absorbent strips 20 may be removed and replaced with fresh andclean strips as occasion requires.

Ideally, the spacing of the units 14 corresponds generally with thespacing of the radiator fins so that when heated air from the radiatorfins rises in a current between the fins, it does so uninterruptedlyuntil it strikes the horizontal portion 200. of the absorbent strip 20.There such air either is deflected in part and passes in part throughthe strip 20 to be conditioned by the addition of moisture thereto.

To increase the circulation of air and vapor, the wings l9 may contain atransversely arranged slot or series of slots 19a, best shown in Figure2. Vapor collected under wings I!) and held there by the depending foldof the wick 200, may escape through slots la and air rising betweenadjacent downward folds of the wick 20a may escape directly through theopening at the top. The downward fold of wick 20a. is the most moistsection thereof. Increased evaporation of liquid in a readilyappreciable degree is thus secured.

While there has been herein illustrated and described a specific form ofthe invention, it will be readily seen that the apparatus may beconstructed in many different ways without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, therefore, there is no intention to limit the scope ofthe claims to the construction shown.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A humidifier comprising a series of pan units, and connecting meansbetween said pans comprising a conduit connecting the interior of saidpans, a portion of said connecting means being in a lower plane than thebottom of said pans and said connecting means being suited for engagingthe top of a radiator.

2. In combination, a humidifier comprising 9.

series of like parallelepiped pans, each of saidpans having an openingtherein, and paired tubular supporting means for said pans, each of saidtubular supporting means having segments of its wall cut away to seatsaid pans, and at least one of said supporting means registering withthe openings in said pans.

3. In combination, a humidifier comprising a series of parallelepipedpans, and support means for all of said pans, each of said pans havingat its top and directed inwardly of the pan an oblique flange the edgeof which is adapted to support a strip of absorbent material, and astrip of absorbent material suspended upon said flanges and dependinginto said pans.

4. In a humidifier, a series of pans having side walls, connecting meansbetween said pans, and an absorbent open mesh strip extending from saidpans, each pan having. upwardly extending flanges, at least one of saidflanges being oblique to the side wall and directed inwardly of the panand supporting said strip, and at least one of said flanges extendingabove said oblique flange and being horizontally disposed over the topof said pan.

5. A humidifier for mounting upon a radiator and comprising a series ofpans having oblique and horizontal flanges, each of said pans being ofsuch size and s spaced as to register with the fin on a radiator,connecting means between said pans comprising elongated members havingsections removed from their walls to seat said pans, and an absorbentwick extending from said pans and suspended in and between said pans bysaid oblique flanges, the horizontal flanges extending over said pansinwardly of the walls thereof.

6. A humidifier for mounting in combination with room heating means,comprising pans, and water conducting means connecting said pans, theconnecting means being adapted for engaging the top surface of theradiator and having sections of the walls thereof cut away to seatsections of said pan in the cut away portion.

'7. A humidifier for use upon a radiator having vertical fins extendingcrosswise thereof, comprising a plurality of separate pans in spacedarrangement side by side, all of said pans forming a unit adapted to belocated with the pans crosswise of a radiator, the length of the unitbeing determined by the number of pans therein, and support memberssecured to said pans extending crosswise of said pans and below thebottoms of said pans and being adapted'for supporting the unit on thetop of the radiator with the pans extending crosswise of the radiator.

8. In combination, a humidifier comprising a series of like pans, eachofsaid pans having an opening therein, and a plurality of tubularsupporting means for said pans, each of said tubular supporting meanshaving segments of its wall cut away to seat said pans, and at least oneof said supporting means registering with the openings in said pans.

9. In combination, a humidifier comprising a series of pans arranged inspaced side by side relation, each of said pans having at its top anddirected inwardly of the pan an oblique perforated flange the edge ofwhich is adapted to support a strip of absorbent material, and a stripof absorbent material suspended upon said flanges and depending intosaid pans and extending from pan to pan over the spaces therebetween.

10. A humidifier comprising a plurality of sepminating in obliquelyinwardly and upwardly extending flanges adapted to support a strip ofabsorbent material, a strip of absorbent material suspended upon saidflanges and depending into said pans and extending from pan to pan overthe 'spaces therebetween, the inclination of said flanges providing anupwardly increasing flue area whereby the unsupported area of absorbentmaterial between said flanges is greater than the transverse area of theflue below said flanges. 10

GEORGE C. BOA.

